Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders

New England’s leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on
sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression.

Our Work Major Initiatives

Major Initiatives

New England Marriage Campaign

GLAD Cases Figure in National Law Journal’s “10 Key Moments” in Marriage Equality

New York Times: A Push is On for Same-Sex Marriage Rights in New England

New England is on the forefront of the marriage equality movement. GLAD’s historic 2003 victory in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health made Massachusetts the first state in the country to grant same-sex couples the rights and respect of full marriage equality. Although initially an old 1913 law was used to prevent most non-Massachusetts same-sex couples from marrying, on July 31, 2008, this law was repealed. Now any same-sex couple who meets the marriage requirements can be legally married in Massachusetts. And, on October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in GLAD’s case Kerrigan & Mock v. Department of Public Health that same-sex couples are entitled to nothing less than full and equal marriage. Vermont and New Hampshire have each enacted legislation granting marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The Current State of Relationship Recognition Across New England

Massachusetts

Same-sex couples have full marriage equality in Massachusetts, and same-sex couples from anywhere can legally marry in Massachusetts provided they meet the marriage requirements. Learn More ›

Connecticut

On October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in GLAD's case Kerrigan & Mock v. Department of Public Health that same-sex couples have the right to full marriage in the state. Learn More ›

Our partner in Connecticut is ctEQUALITY.

Maine

A marriage equality bill was signed into law in Maine in May, but was overturned in a voter referendum on November 3, 2009. Meanwhile, domestic partnerships provide a few of the benefits accorded to married couples. Learn More ›

Our partner in Maine is Equality Maine.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Governor Lynch signed marriage equality into law on June 3, 2009. Same-sex couples began marrying January 1, 2010. Learn More ›

Rhode Island

Same-sex couples cannot marry in Rhode Island. Civil Unions are available for same-sex couples. Learn More ›

Our partner in Rhode Island is Marriage Equality Rhode Island

Vermont

Same-sex couples began marrying in Vermont in September 2009, thanks to a legislative marriage equality victory this spring. Learn More ›

Our partner in Vermont is Vermont Freedom to Marry.

Civil Rights Project

Since 1978, GLAD’s bold and effective advocacy has achieved scores of precedent-setting legal victories to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression, benefiting individuals, couples, and families across New England and through the United States.

We fight because we care, and we win because we’re good. Each time GLAD argues a case or tackles an issue, we tear down more of the outdated laws and stereotypes that have denied LGBT people basic protections and opportunities in every area of daily life – family, school, employment, housing, government, health care, and beyond.

Whether it’s marriage for same-sex couples or non-discrimination policies in the workplace, GLAD doesn’t shrink from tough issues. And we don’t compromise on our belief that every LGBT citizen deserves full equality under the law – without exception.

Mary L. Bonauto, Esq.

Mary L. Bonauto has been the Civil Rights Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) since 1990. Her practice concentrates on impact litigation for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, as well as people living with HIV or AIDS. She has litigated widely in the state and federal courts and agencies of the six New England states since 1990 on issues of employment discrimination, custody, free speech and civil rights. In 1999, she and two Vermont co-counsel won a ruling that same-sex couples are entitled to all of the benefits and protections of civil marriage in the case of Baker v. State of Vermont. This ruling prompted the Vermont legislature to enact the nation’s first “civil union” law for same-sex couples. Mary was lead counsel in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, which resulted in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's landmark decision that prohibiting civil marriage for same-sex couples is unconstitutional. She is currently leading GLAD's challenge to the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in two cases in federal court.

Mary is a graduate of Hamilton College and Northeastern University School of Law. She serves as a Co-chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee of the IRR Section of the ABA.

New York Times Magazine May 2004: Toward a More Perfect Union
Mary Bonauto featured in The Advocate, December 2004
The Boston Globe Magazine's People of the Year, December 2004

AIDS Law Project

Although the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed dramatically since GLAD founded its AIDS Law Project in 1984, the need for strong legal protections is as critical as ever.

People with HIV continue to face severe discrimination in employment, housing and other areas. They may be denied health care based on irrational fears of HIV transmission, or have their HIV status disclosed illegally. And new problems are emerging. People with HIV are now living long enough to be refused appropriate care for unrelated medical needs, such as organ transplants, based on their HIV status. Individuals who return to work after long stretches away from the job market face tough questions and suspicion. Others are not able to go back to work due to severe fatigue or illness caused by HIV medications, yet disability insurance providers attempt to strip them of coverage because they appear clinically stable.

Today, HIV infection is on the rise again after many years of decrease, with major disparities based on race or ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. We are all being hit hard. While blacks and Hispanics make up only 12% of the population, they account for half of all HIV/AIDS cases; Male-to-male sexual contact accounts for more than half of the cases recently diagnosed among men, and gay youth under the age of 22 are among the most at risk; women’s infection rates are soaring, with 59% being infected through heterosexual sex; and injection drug use leads to 30% of all infections.

Strong legal protections for people living with HIV are essential prerequisites to effective risk-reduction and prevention strategies. By fighting discrimination based on HIV status, protecting people’s privacy, and improving access to information about HIV-related legal issues, GLAD’s AIDS Law Project continues to help turn the tide and strengthen the health of our communities.

Case Managers and Medical or Social Service Providers: Contact us at 617-426-1350 for information about scheduling an in-service training on GLAD’s AIDS Law Project and HIV-related legal issues.

Subscribe to the AIDS Law Project's Quarterly E-Newsletter - breaking news, hotline Q&A's, and information about GLAD's new projects and upcoming events designed especially for HIV medical and social service providers and consumers

Bennett Klein, Esq.

Ben Klein is a Senior Attorney and has been the AIDS Law Project Director at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) since 1994. Ben has litigated cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts establishing legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and people living with HIV. He was counsel in Kerrigan & Mock v. Department of Public Health, GLAD’s 2008 victory in the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is unconstitutional.

Ben was lead counsel in Bragdon v. Abbott, the first HIV discrimination case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. The case involved a Bangor, Maine dentist who had a written policy of refusing to treat any patient who had tested positive for HIV. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 1998 established nationwide protection against discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act for all people with HIV. Ben also won a decision before the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance Board of Appeals in 2001 ensuring equal access to liver transplants for HIV-positive individuals under the Commonwealth's MassHealth program.

He is a 1982 graduate of Oberlin College and a 1987 graduate of Boston University School of Law. Prior to joining GLAD, Ben was a litigation associate at the Boston law firms of Kotin, Crabtree & Strong (1990 - 1994) and Gaston & Snow (1987 - 1990). He has been involved in several Boston-area community organizations, including as a “buddy” for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, a Board member of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association and a founding member of the Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth (BAGLY).

Read more about the 2008 Connecticut marriage equality victory

Read about Ben Klein's U.S. Supreme Court Win in The New York Times, June, 1998

Transgender Rights Project

Transgender Family Law

Sign up to receive information when GLAD’s upcoming book, Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy becomes available.

Video

Everyone Matters: Dignity and Safety for Transgender People

News

November 16, 2011 Transgender Protections Passed in Massachusetts

July 12, 2011 GLAD Lawsuit Produces New Denny’s Bathroom Policy for Transgender Patrons

June 20, 2011 Following the passage of non-discrimination legislation in Connecticut, Jennifer Levi talks about the importance of transgender non-discrimination laws in Jurist

February 17, 2011 - Governor Patrick Signs Historic Executive Order Protecting MA Transgender State Employees GLAD, MTPC and MassEquality initiated a conversation with Governor Patrick about issuing an executive order to provide employment protections to transgender state employees and employees of state vendors. We’re excited to announce that Gov. Patrick signed this executive order on 2/17/11. As the largest employer in the state this sends a strong signal to the legislature and we hope to see a statewide bill passed in 2011.

About the Transgender Rights Project

Transgender people face the most basic and blatant discrimination every day - from being denied access to employment, housing, or healthcare, to being physically attacked because of the way they look or dress.

Through the Transgender Rights Project (TRP), GLAD puts our litigation, legislative, and educational assets to work in a focused way to establish clear legal protections for the transgender community. Information about current and past cases can be found below.

The TRP also works closely with state-based transgender advocacy organizations. Community collaboration is at the heart of so much of GLAD’s work. A key to our success is that each organization makes unique contributions.

These collaborations include our partnership with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. GLAD worked together with MTPC and other members of the MA Transgender Rights Coalition to successfully pass a bill in 2011 that adds gender identity and expression to the state’s nondiscrimination and hate crimes laws.

In addition, after several years of advocacy by GLAD and MTPC with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies, a new policy for changing gender markers on identification documents was achieved in 2010. GLAD continues to monitor its implementation and provides information to the transgender community about the new policy.

In Connecticut, GLAD was a key partner in the coalition, ctEquality, that successfully worked to pass a statewide bill that adds gender identity and expression to Connecticut nondiscrimination laws in 2011.

With TransGender New Hampshire, GLAD participated in public education and legal work to support a bill which includes transgender people in the anti-discrimination statute in New Hampshire in 2009. Unfortunately this bill was defeated last legislative session. Undeterred, we are working to be sure the community is ready for future re-introduction of the legislation in 2011. To do so, GLAD has helped establish a new coalition, the New Hampshire Coalition for Transgender Equality.

Jennifer Levi, Esq.

Jennifer L. Levi is one of our nation’s leading experts on transgender legal issues. She has been with GLAD since 1998, and has served as lead counsel in a number of precedent setting cases establishing basic rights for transgender people. These cases include: Doe v. Yunits, in which Jennifer represented a transgender student denied the right to attend school because of the clothing she wore; Rosa v. Park West Bank, which established key protections for transgender people under federal law; Beger v. DMA, which resulted in a reversal of Division of Medical Assistance’s refusal to cover breast surgery for a transgender woman, among many others. Jennifer was also co-counsel in the case of Goodridge v. Dep’t Public Health which established the right of same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts.

Jennifer is a Professor of Law at Western New England University. She serves on the Legal Committee of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and is a founding member of both the Transgender Law & Policy Institute and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.

Jennifer is a graduate of Wellesley College (1985) and the University of Chicago Law School (1992). She has also taught law at the Chicago-Kent Law School and is a former law clerk for Judge Michael Boudin at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Video: Jennifer Levi talks about GLAD's Transgender Rights Project
Video: Jennifer Levi testifies in Massachusetts in support of transgender nondiscrimination protections
Jennifer Levi interviewed in Tapestry Magazine in 2005

Related Cases

NOM v. McKee

Pending • •

On January 31, 2012, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals rejected… Read More

CHRO and Dana Peterson v. City of Hartford

Pending • •

GLAD is participating in the appeal of a Connecticut Commission on Human… Read More

Doe v. Clenchy

Pending • Transgender Rights Project •

Case Summary
GLAD is representing a transgender teen girl whose Orono,… Read More

AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region v. Gilsum 2011

Pending • AIDS Law Project •

For the second time GLAD has filed a lawsuit against a New… Read More

Pentlarge and Another v. Sex Offender Registry Board et. al.

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

GLAD has filed an amicus brief in this case on appeal before… Read More

Patino v. Birken Manufacturing Co.

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

GLAD and the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association filed an amicus brief in… Read More

Pedersen et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al.

Pending • •

July 15, 2011 Update: GLAD files motion for summary judgment on behalf… Read More

Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al.

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

For complete details about this case and the plaintiffs, visit http://www.glad.org/doma/

Kadri v. Mukasey

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

GLAD joined an amicus brief in this immigration/asylum case at the US… Read More

D’Amico v. Cranston School Department

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

In a victory for GLAD, the Rhode Island Human Rights Commission found… Read More

Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins

Pending • Civil Rights Project •

Update: On April 22, an arrest was made in the custody case… Read More

Adams v. Bureau of Prisons

Settled • Transgender Rights Project • September 30, 2011

Update: September 30, 2011

A settlement was announced September 30, 2011 in… Read More

Freeman v. Denny’s

Settled • Transgender Rights Project • March 23, 2011

GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project and Realty Resources Hospitality, which operates six Denny’s… Read More

Raftopol v. Ramey

Victory • Civil Rights Project • January 5, 2011

In a first-of-its kind decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on Jan.… Read More

In re A.M.B.

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • June 24, 2010

GLAD filed an amicus brief with the Maine high court in support… Read More

Doe v. Reed

Victory • • June 24, 2010

In June, 2010 the U. S. Supreme Court handed a defeat to… Read More

O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • February 2, 2010

Victory! On February 2, 2010, the U.S. Tax Court issued an important… Read More

Dixit v. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Settled • AIDS Law Project • January 11, 2010

GLAD negotiated a successful settlement on behalf of our client after Harvard… Read More

AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region v. Town of Gilsum

Victory • AIDS Law Project • September 1, 2009

Victory! GLAD Announced a settlement in this case on September 1, 2009.… Read More

Kerrigan & Mock v. Connecticut Dept. of Public Health

Victory • Civil Rights Project • October 10, 2008

On Friday, October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that gay… Read More

Shaw v. Murphy

Victory • AIDS Law Project • February 19, 2008

On February 19, 2008, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals ruled in favor… Read More

Parker v. Hurley

Victory • Civil Rights Project • January 31, 2008

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on January 31,… Read More

Adoption of M.A. and R.A.

Victory • Civil Rights Project • August 30, 2007

The Maine Law Court issued a unanimous decision on August 30, 2007… Read More

Bedford and Breen v. New Hampshire Technical College System

Victory • Civil Rights Project • May 7, 2007

The state of New Hampshire dropped its appeal in this case on… Read More

Blanchette v. Saint Anselm College

Settled • Transgender Rights Project • December 31, 2006

In June 2005, GLAD filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court… Read More

Schulman v. Reilly

Loss • Civil Rights ProjectNew England Marriage Campaign • November 9, 2006

GLAD filed this lawsuit to challenge the Attorney General’s decision that a… Read More

Cote-Whitacre et al. v. Dept. Public Health

Victory • Civil Rights Project • March 30, 2006

On March 30, 2006, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court determined in the… Read More

Tiverton School Committee v. McCullough & Boivin

Settled • • December 31, 2005

GLAD worked with the ACLU of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island… Read More

C. J. Doyle v. Goodridge

Victory • Civil Rights Project • June 1, 2005

One of a barrage of actions filed early in 2004 to prevent… Read More

Netherland et al. v. Whiteman et al.

Settled • Civil Rights Project • March 9, 2005

GLAD is putting the right-wing on notice that they cannot use intimidation… Read More

Pulsifer v. Portland

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2004

GLAD represented the City of Portland, Maine against an attack on the… Read More

T.F. v. B.L.

Loss • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2004

GLAD represented T.F., a biological mother seeking child support from her former… Read More

C.E.W. v. D.E.W.

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2004

GLAD, along with Maine co-counsel, won the right to seek full parental… Read More

Barreto-Neto v. Town of Hardwick Police Department

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • December 31, 2004

GLAD worked with a police officer in the Town of Hardwick, Vermont,… Read More

In re Nancy Walsh

Victory • Civil Rights Project • January 26, 2004

GLAD applied for and won compensation from the federal September 11 Victim… Read More

Blanchflower v. Blanchflower and Mayer

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2003

GLAD filed an amicus curiae brief in a divorce case addressing the… Read More

Commonwealth v. Smith

Loss • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2003

In 2000, GLAD filed a brief in a Middlesex Superior Court criminal… Read More

Goodridge et al. v. Dept. Public Health

Victory • Civil Rights Project • November 18, 2003

In a historic opinion on November 18, 2003, GLAD won a ruling… Read More

Brindamour, et al. v. Manchester Board of Education

Victory • Civil Rights Project • November 18, 2003

GLAD used the Connecticut anti-discrimination provisions based on sexual orientation and marital… Read More

Guardianship of I.H.

Victory • Civil Rights Project • November 4, 2003

GLAD represented a committed lesbian couple from Kennebec County who jointly decided… Read More

Rose v. YMCA of Nashua

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2002

GLAD intervened on behalf of a lesbian couple and their family in… Read More

T.T. v. J.R.

Victory • • December 31, 2002

In the first case to test the sexual orientation protections in the… Read More

Commonwealth v. Landry

Victory • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2002

In a major victory for public health programs that stem the tide… Read More

Boy Scouts of America v. Wyman

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2002

GLAD worked to stop the special access of the Boy Scouts of… Read More

Albano v. Reilly et al

Victory • Civil Rights ProjectNew England Marriage Campaign • December 31, 2002

In Albano et al v. Reilly et al, GLAD challenged the propriety… Read More

Brett, et al., v. Town of West Hartford

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2002

GLAD successfully challenged the discriminatory policy of the Town of West Hartford… Read More

Burns v. Burns

Loss • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2002

GLAD submitted an amicus brief in this Georgia case, the first addressing… Read More

Waddell v. Valley Forge Dental Associates

Loss • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2002

GLAD filed a friend of the court brief urging the U.S. Supreme… Read More

Proposed “Protection of Marriage” Constitutional Amendment

Victory • • July 31, 2002

Supreme Judicial Court Advisory Opinion
In a last ditch attempt to… Read More

GLAD et al. v. Attorney General Thomas Reilly et al

Victory • Civil Rights Project • February 1, 2002

GLAD won a declaration from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that neither… Read More

Doe v. Roe Physicians

Victory • AIDS Law Project • January 1, 2002

GLAD settled a case against a doctor who refused to provide in-office… Read More

Jette v. Honey Farms

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • December 31, 2001

One of two landmark rulings issued in October 2001, in which the… Read More

Lesley v. Hee Man Chie

Loss • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2001

In a disappointing decision, the United States Court of Appeals in Boston… Read More

Muzzy v. Cahillane Motors, Inc.

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2001

GLAD was instrumental in winning a decision from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial… Read More

Ayer v. Sommi & Keller

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2001

GLAD was instrumental in obtaining a favorable ruling from the Massachusetts Appeals… Read More

Millett v. Lutco

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • October 1, 2001

One of two landmark rulings issued in October 2001, in which the… Read More

In re R. C.

Victory • Civil Rights Project • August 31, 2001

GLAD ensured that an incarcerated gay man who was violently attacked and… Read More

Dahill v. Boston Police Department

Victory • AIDS Law Project • May 31, 2001

In this case, in May 2001, the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court ruled… Read More

Doe v. Kelley (State Police)

Victory • Civil Rights Project • March 1, 2001

As a result of the settlement of a GLAD case against the… Read More

Doe v. Managed Care Organization

Victory • AIDS Law Project • January 1, 2001

In the first legal ruling of its kind in the country, GLAD… Read More

Doe v. MetLife Disability Insurance and Raytheon

Victory • AIDS Law Project • January 1, 2001

GLAD, with co-counsel Stephen Rosenfeld and Mala Rafik, won the restoration of… Read More

Jane Doe v. Roe Moving Company

Victory • AIDS Law Project • January 1, 2001

GLAD won a favorable settlement in a case filed at the Massachusetts… Read More

Rubano v. DiCenzo

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2000

The Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that a lesbian co-parent could bring… Read More

In re Baby Z & An Act Concerning The Best Interest Of Children In Adoption Matters

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2000

GLAD helped win second-parent adoption in Connecticut, through work in the courts… Read More

In the Matter of Jane Doe

Victory • Civil Rights Project • December 31, 2000

In response to an assault against a lesbian student by a number… Read More

Rosa v. Park West Bank

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • December 31, 2000

In a precedent-setting decision with major implications for the business community, the… Read More

Doe v. Board of Registration of Cosmetology

Victory • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2000

GLAD obtained clarification from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology that an… Read More

Beger v. Division of Medical Assistance

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • December 31, 2000

In this case, a Superior Court in Suffolk County ordered the state… Read More

Commonwealth v. Ortiz

Victory • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2000

A single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court issued an opinion strongly… Read More

Doe and Doe v. Department of Social Services

Victory • AIDS Law Project • December 31, 2000

GLAD negotiated an agreement with the Department of Social Services that it… Read More

In re John/Jane Doe

Victory • Transgender Rights Project • December 1, 2000

In November 2000, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO)… Read More

Doe v. Nashua Housing Authority

Victory • AIDS Law Project • January 1, 2000

GLAD won a change in the practice of the Nashua Housing Authority,… Read More